The document outlines the growing trend of telecommuting driven by advancements in technology and increasing internet access, predicting that 43% of the U.S. workforce will be remote by 2016. It provides key steps for businesses to prepare for this shift, including updating company policies, ensuring necessary technology is available, and using software for timekeeping and project management. Additionally, the document emphasizes the importance of constant communication and suggests tools for fostering collaboration among remote employees.

1. Preparing Your Business for
Telecommuting
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2. Preparing Your Business
for Telecommuting Future
The growth of high tech information technology,
the prevalence of high speed internet access,
and the increasing number of companies willing
to adopt work-locations flexibility all lend to the
unprecedented growth of telecommuting we
are now experiencing today.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/24/us-telecommuting-idUSTRE80N1IL20120124

3. Preparing Your Business
for Telecommuting Future
According to Forrester Research, there are 34
million telecommuters in the U.S. In 2016,
telecommuting ranks will rise up to 63 million.
That means, 43% of the workforce will be
remote workers in 2016. Businesses will have
telecommuting programs to accommodate
employees who work outside the traditional
office setting.
Source: http://www.forrester.com/US+Telecommuting+Forecast+2009+To+2016/fulltext/-/E-RES46635?
objectid=RES46635

4. Preparing Your Business
for Telecommuting Future
If you have not done so yet, you should get
your business ready for the inevitability of
telecommuting.

5. Preparing Your Business
for Telecommuting Future
Here are six things you can do to prepare your
business for telecommuting.

6. Preparing Your Business
for Telecommuting Future
 Is your company policy updated? Check out
if there are any articles in your company
policy that will conflict with telecommuting.
Does it cover policies relating to legal
compliance and ethics obligations while
working as off site employee, or as long as
employees remain contractually obligated to
the company?

7. Preparing Your Business
for Telecommuting Future
 Does your company have the technology
necessary to support telecommuting?
We are talking here about tools and
techniques to be used for focused business
functions, such as project management and
collaboration, timekeeping, funds and supply
procurement, expense reporting, payroll and
others.

8. Preparing Your Business
for Telecommuting Future
 Do you have a timekeeping software that will keep
track of how much time your employee spends on a
particular task? This is a very important tool, as it
also logs their work hours for payroll purposes.
Some software, like Time Doctor, offer extended
features such as monitoring employee productivity.
For example, it allows managers to check if their
employees are actually working. The software also
allows managers to assign a list of to-dos using
Time Doctor.

9. Preparing Your Business
for Telecommuting Future
 Is your company using a project management
software?
Project management software provides lots of
benefits especially in managing remote employees.
Web based project management software like
Basecamp are accessible from anywhere with
internet, which means remote workers can easily
organize, plan, delegate and track projects and
deadlines with you by just being online.

10. Preparing Your Business
for Telecommuting Future
 Is constant communication already priority in your
company? Aside from emails and instant
messaging, there are lots of software you can use.
Have you tried web video conferencing via Skype?
Teamviewer is another tool that you can use for
remote controlling workstations, desktop sharing,
online meetings, web conferencing and transferring
files from computer to computer.

11. Preparing Your Business
for Telecommuting Future
 Do you have a company message board that will
act as virtual offices where managers and
employees can interact, post work related and non
work related stuff, share calendars, resources,
training materials, or just to bridge the
communication gap between remote workers?
There are many online software you can use for
this.

12. Preparing Your Business
for Telecommuting Future
Additional resources you might be interested in:
 Does working with people on the other side of the world r
 Infographic – Is Telework the future?
 An offshore team as an alternative to a tech co-founder